Back at the university, the night had settled into one of those stretches where every little sound seemed to matter more than usual, the kind of quiet that made a floorboard creak sound like it echoed through the entire building.
The private housing's living room. Ethan sat in the middle of the wide sofa, leaning back like he was comfortable, though he wasn't nearly as relaxed as he looked.
On either side of him, the twins had pressed themselves close, their bodies tucked against his like they had no intention of moving.
Their warmth spread into him, steady and grounding, and though he didn't say it out loud, it felt like they weren't just sitting with him, but holding him in place, keeping him steady in a world that had the bad habit of trying to sweep him off his feet whenever he thought he'd finally found balance.
